I'm known for my strong views on mobile technology, online media, and the effect this has on and communication will have on the public conscious and existing businesses.
I've been following this space for over ten years, working with a number of publishers, publications and media companies, some for long periods of time, others for commissions, one-off pieces or a series of articles or shows.
As Scotland’s first podcaster, I continue to be a prominent voice in the rise of podcasting and new media online, and picked up a British Academy (BAFTA) nomination for my annual coverage of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, alongside contributions to Radio 5 Live, the BBC World Service, presenting Edinburgh local radio's coverage of the General Election.
You'll find me on Twitter (@Ewan), Facebook, and Google Plus.

Apple Loop: How iOS 8 Supports An iWatch, A $100 Premium For The iPhone 6, And Work Starts On Assembling The iPad Air 2

Taking a look back at the week in news from Apple, this week’s Loop looks at the clues in iOS 8 to the iWatch; the extra cost consumers will bear on a large screened iPhone; a recall on European USB chargers; the 7-1 stock split; tax arrangements under investigation in Europe; light up smart covers; curated App Store lists; and the iPad Air Two could be starting the assembly line process.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many things that have happened around Apple over the last seven days.

How Do The iOS 8 Improvements Impact On A Smartwatch UI?

Mark Gurman (on 9 to 5 Mac) has spent some time looking at the various areas of iOS 8 that will be useful in Apple’s iWatch, expected to be released in October this year. Apple’s new notification system, allowing you to react within the notification? What if that notification wasn’t on the phone screen, but on a wearable?

How about the use of larger buttons with controls popping up to slide your finger over to select a function? Or the newly added support for widgets – small applications that take up very little screen real estate. That’s the sort of design that will work really well on a small screen on your wrist. All the clues are there in iOS 8.

When you consider the unification of the UI of Mac OSX and iOS at this year’s WWDC, it’s fair to think that a similar UI paradigm will be in place for the iWatch.

Meet The Bigger iPhone Which Will Take Another $100 Out Of Your Wallet

Analysts at Raymond James believe that Apple could charge an extra $100 on the list price for a 5.5 inch screened Apple iPhone. This would price an XL version of the iPhone 5S at $299 with a contract, or $749 sim free, assuming a consistent price with the 5S 16 GB model. I don’t see Apple pushing a contract handset over $300, so any extra savings may have to be made through efficiencies in the manufacturing process gathered together over the last year.

Apple Recall A Number of European USB Chargers

One for readers in mainland Europe, as Apple has issued a recall notice on a number of European AC USB chargers. The problem lies in model A1300. Affected users can have a free exchange to the A1400 model, which can be done in person, by appointment, or via post.

The Apple iPhone 5C

The Seven To One Stock Split Goes Ahead, No Changes To Apple’s Valuation

The long-trailed stock split of Apple stock went through this weekend. From bouncing around this weekend at nearly $700 dollars a share, Apple’s share price is back under $100. Of course everyone still holds the same monetary value of the company, they just have a wider range of stock to play with than you might expect. The lower price might have a psychological impact, casting Apple in a more favourable light for small investors, but they aren’t fooling anyone.

Apple’s Tax Affairs Under Investigation

Forbes contributor Tim Worstall has taken a look at the impact on Apple of a recent EU investigation into the Tax affairs of Cupertino, and specifically on the issue of transfer pricing:

At least half of world trade these days is actually one subsidiary of a multinational company selling to another subsidiary of that same multinational. And governments are quite keen on the idea that they get to tax the value that is added within their own jurisdiction. But this is problematic: for estimating the value that is added can only be done by looking at the prices for whatever it is that is being bought and sold. But if we’ve got the same multinational on both sides of the bargain then they could, if they so desired, declare just any old price they made up. And thus they would be able to suck profits out of high tax jurisdictions and into low tax ones.

Apple SmartCover To Come With An ‘Integrated Visual Notification System’?

Let’s be honest, a few magnets makes a cover useful, but it’s not enough to be really smart. The design team at Cupertino is looking to change that, with a recent patent (highlighted by Apple Insider) to a style of SmartCover that features colour displayed (such as LED elements or electroluminescent panels) that will act as warnings and alerts from the device the cover is attached to. The filing (USPTO #20140159867) is rather broad and it’s hard to pin down what any final design cues a SmartAlertCover would take, and it has been some time since it was filed (by Jared Sartee and Justin Wodrich, in 2012) as its inventors. Two years old then, it should be ready for the market?

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.